Facts & faces

Updated 12:29 am, Tuesday, March 12, 2013

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz arrives at the EA SPORTS Madden Bowl XIX Party on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 in New Orleans. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/Invision/AP)

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz arrives at the EA SPORTS Madden Bowl XIX Party on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 in New Orleans. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/Invision/AP)

Photo: Jack Dempsey

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NEW YORK — The New York Giants have placed a first-round tender on Victor Cruz, allowing the wide receiver to enter restricted free agency.

Team owner John Mara said Monday that the Giants will risk having Cruz agree to a contract with another club. New York has the right to match any offer, and if the Giants allow him to leave, they will get a first-round draft choice as compensation.

The tender is worth $2.879 million for 2012 for Cruz, who has not made half of that in his three pro seasons. But Cruz believes he can earn more on the open market.

Cruz has 168 receptions for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns. He made the 2012 Pro Bowl.

The Giants also agreed to a three-year deal with defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins.

College basketball: Gonzaga is No. 1 in the Associated Press men's basketball poll for a second week. Gonzaga received 54 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. No. 2 Duke received the other 11 first-place votes. ...Baylor remains No. 1 in the AP women's basketball poll for a 10th consecutive week. The Lady Bears received all 40 first-place votes for the third straight week.

International basketball: Renaldo Balkman, a former player for the NBA's New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, has been banned from the Philippine Basketball Association following an on-court incident. According to a Reuters report, Balkman placed his hands around his teammate Arwind Santos' neck as Santos tried to restrain Balkman's anger over a disputed call. In addition to the lifetime ban, the report states that Balkman was fined the equivalent of $6,100 over the choking.

Sled dog racing: Alaska's 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has come down to a furiously contested sprint among veterans, with one seasoned musher grabbing the lead from another Monday and several others within striking distance. By evening, 2004 Iditarod winner Mitch Seavey was ahead of four-time champion Jeff King and last year's runner-up, Aliy Zirkle, as he reached the checkpoint at Elim, 123 miles from the finish line in Nome. King snatched the lead earlier Monday from Seavey, leaving the Koyuk checkpoint first.

Tennis: Rafael Nadal experienced his first earthquake Monday morning at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. The 9:55 a.m. quake had an estimated magnitude of 4.7, according to the California Institute of Technology's seismological laboratory. Nadal, who is from Spain, was on the massage table preparing for his third-round match against Leonardo Mayer of Argentina. Nadal didn't even get to play his match. Mayer withdrew because of a back injury. Defending champion Roger Federer beat Ivan Dodig 6-3, 6-1 in a third-round match. Federer tweaked his back, but has a day off Tuesday to rest it.